Small Group Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Writing Activities for
Emergent Readers
Readers in the emergent stage are working on the following skills:
Phonological Awareness Activities
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identify and produce rhymes
blend and segment syllables
isolate initial and final sounds
initial consonant substitution
discriminate between sounds
(auditory) blend sounds in c-v-c words
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(auditory) segment sounds in c-v-c words
Blend c-v-c words to read
Write sight words
Put space between words in writing
Use initial sounds to spell
Write words with c-v-c pattern
Activity
Skills
Description/Directions
Language Example (Direction or
Encouragement)
I see how you are putting this picture of
a dog in this column. Let’s read the
pictures before this one to see if they all
begin with the /d/ sound …dish, dig,
door, dog. Yes, all these words begin
with /d/.
Picture
Sorts
Discriminate
between
sounds
Children are given a set of picture cards that begin
with two different phonemes (e.g., initial consonant
/b/ and initial consonant /m/). They must sort the
pictures into the correct category. Once they have
placed a card in the appropriate row, they should
“read” the other pictures to check that the picture
they sorted sounds right.
Sound
Boxes
Segment
words into
sounds
The children are given a three-box grid. Say a word.
They listen to a word and repeat it stretching out the
sounds. They move a token into a box for each
sound or phoneme that they hear. The teacher
listens in and observes as the child moves tokens
into the box.
The word is “can.” Say it with me. Now
let’s stretch out the sounds. Say the
word again, slowly. Move a chip into
the box for the sound you hear at the
beginning, the middle, and the end.
Thumbs
Up,
Thumbs
Down
Identify
specific
phonological
element
Teachers pronounce the featured phonological
element. The children repeat the sound. Then the
teacher reads a list of words. If the word contains the
phonological element, the children put their thumbs
up. If it does not, they put their thumbs down.
We are listening for words that start like
“Mom.” Say Mom. What sound do you
hear at the beginning? That’s right,
mmm. Now I’ll read some words. If
they start like Mom, give a thumbs up. If
they don’t, give a thumbs down.
2314 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
T: 215-561-4676
F: 215-561-4677
info@cli.org
www.cli.org
Phonics Activities
Small Group Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Writing Activities for
Emergent Readers
Word Sorts
Recognize
patterns in
words
Making
Words
Recognize
patterns in
words
Make and
Break
Words
Onset and
rime
Mix and Fix
Word
recognition
Word sorts are activities in which children categorize
words according to their features. Sorting makes it
easier to see the similarities and differences between
words. The children are given a set of word cards
with two phonics elements (e.g., words with short /a/
and words with short /e/). They must sort the word
cards into the correct category.
The children are given a set of letter cards (or
magnetic letters) to make words (beginning with
short words and building to larger words). As
children manipulate the letters to make the words,
they learn how small changes, such as changing just
one letter or moving the letters around, result in
completely new words. Children learn to stretch out
words and listen for the sounds they hear and the
order of those sounds.
Give children a set of magnetic letters to make a
word family word, such as “bug.” They read the
word, running their finger under the letters as they
read. (make) After reading the word, have the
children identify the onset and rime. Have the
children isolate the onset, say the sound, and then
say the rime chunk. (break) Reconnect the onset and
rime and read the word. (make)
Give each child magnetic letters to make a new word
(model if necessary). Have them make the word and
check it by running their fingers under the word,
saying the word slowly and moving left to right under
the word. Then have them mix up the letters and fix
the word by making it again, following the same
procedure.
I see that you put “bed” in the “wet”
column. Why does “bed” belong in the
“wet” column? That’s right, they both
have the /e/ sound in the middle. Read
the words in the “wet” column.
You have made the word “not.” We are
going to change one letter in “not” to
make the word “nod.” Hmm, what letter
would I have to change to make “not”
into “nod?” Think about the beginning
sound, the middle sound, and the
ending sound.
Make the word “bug.” Now run your
finger under the word and say “bug.”
What is the first sound in bug? Slide the
letter that makes the /b/ sound away.
What letter is it? That’s right, it’s “b.”
Read the chunk that is left, -ug. Slide
the b back. Read the word.
With your letters, make the word “like.”
Run your finger under the word and
check it. Is it right? How do you know?
Now mix it up. Make the word “like”
again.
2314 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
T: 215-561-4676
F: 215-561-4677
info@cli.org
www.cli.org
Writing Activities
Small Group Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Writing Activities for
Emergent Readers
What’s
Missing?
Word
recognition
Modeled
Writing
Word
recognition,
phonics
skills, and
composition
Shared
Writing
Word
recognition,
phonics
skills, and
composition
Interactive
Writing
Word
recognition,
phonics
skills, and
composition
Construct a new sight word with magnetic letters on
a magnetic board in front of the children. Ask them
to read the word with you. Turn the board around
and remove one of the letters. Ask the children,
“Which letter is missing?” After they give you the
missing letter, insert it back into the word. Repeat
the procedure several times, removing another letter
each time.
Modeled writing is when the teacher shows the
children how to compose ideas, organize writing,
and apply conventions as they write. The teacher
models writing a 1-2 sentence response or message.
The response will include phonics skills being
practiced, so the children can see how they are
applied in the context of writing. The message is
written in full view of the children. The group reads
the completed message together.
What is the word? You’re right, it’s
“have.” Let’s say it again together. Let’s
say the letters in have: h-a-v-e. Now I
am going to remove one letter. What’s
missing? Yes, the /v/ is missing. What
sound does /v/ make? Yes, we hear /v/
in have. Here’s the /v/. Now it says
have.
So far, I have three words in my
sentence, read it with me: The cat
has...” Now I am going write “ten.” The
first sound is /t/, the letter t makes that
sound. The next sound is /e/. The letter
e makes that sound. The last sound is
/n/, the letter /n/ makes the sound. /t//e/-/n/, ten. The cat has ten hats. Now
I’ll write the last word.
Shared writing teaches children to apply their word
recognition and phonic skills to write a message with
support from the teacher. It is an example of “We do” in
the gradual release of responsibility. The text is
composed together, and the teacher serves as the scribe,
writing the message with input from the children on
spellings, which allows them to apply phonics skills being
taught. The message is 1-2 sentences in length.
The teacher and children collaborate to write a response
to the text or a message. The text is composed together.
The teacher scribes most of the message with input from
the children on spellings, which allows them to apply
phonics skills being taught. Individual children are called
upon to scribe a letter or even a whole word in the
message. The message is 1-2 sentences in length.
“You hear the /y/, /u/, and /m/ in yummy
and you say that you hear an /e/, too. Good
listening and thinking. We need to add
another /m/ and a /y/ to make yummy.
Look! You figured out more than half of the
word.
Janell, would you like to come up and write
the word “get” in our message? You wrote
a /g/ at the beginning and a /t/ at the end.
So clever of you! Let’s listen to the word
again, “get.” What is that sound in the
middle? It’s not the short /i/ sound. That’s
right, it’s short /e/. Let’s cover this /i/ with
correction tape.
2314 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
T: 215-561-4676
F: 215-561-4677
info@cli.org
www.cli.org
Small Group Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Writing Activities for
Emergent Readers
Whiteboard
Writing
Word
recognition
and phonics
skills
Table
Writing
Word
recognition
and phonics
skills
Guided
Writing
Sight word
knowledge
and
decoding
The purpose of this activity is to solidify the
children’s knowledge of a new sight word. Have the
children practice writing the word on white boards.
Then have them check it with their finger, saying the
word slowly and moving left to right under the word.
The purpose of this activity is to solidify the
children’s knowledge of a new sight word. Have the
children write the new sight word on the table with
their finger. The writing movement helps the children
to remember the word.
Dictate a sentence related to the story that contains
some sight words that you have taught and some
unknown words. You may also use an open-ended
sentence and have students select the last word
(e.g., I am a _____.). Suggested guidelines are: Level
A: Sentence should be approximately 3-5 words.
Level B: Sentence should be approximately 5-7
words. Have the students repeat the dictated
sentence several times while you write a line for each
word in their journals with a pencil. Transfer the task
of writing lines as soon as the students can control
the task. Once students are able to space without
prompting, the lines will no longer be needed. When
the children ask how to spell a word, tell them to say
the word slowly and write what they hear. Accept
approximations for the unknown words. Previously
taught sight words should be spelled correctly.
(Richardson, The Next Steps in Guided Reading)
Look at word that you’ve written. “Did.”
Run your finger under the word and
say, “Did.” Does it look right? Do the
letters match the sounds?
Let’s write the word “not” on the table
with our fingers. /n/, /o/, /t/
Read your sentence to me. Look at all
of the sounds that you heard in sister.
You heard /s/, /t/, / r/. I can see that you
said the word slowly and wrote down
the sounds that you heard.
2314 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
T: 215-561-4676
F: 215-561-4677
info@cli.org
www.cli.org